Environmental Impact & Carbon Reduction Policy

December 2025

1. Purpose

As an organisation that hosts events primarily in public green spaces, Pups in the Park recognises our intrinsic duty to protect the environment. We are committed to minimising our carbon footprint and ensuring that our activities have a neutral or positive impact on the ecosystems we visit.

This policy outlines our commitment to sustainability, specifically focusing on waste reduction, sustainable transport, and the protection of local wildlife.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all volunteers, management, contractors, and attendees with regard to their travel, waste, and interactions with the environment.

3. Definitions

Term	Definition
Dead Stock	Merchandise or materials that are purchased but never sold or used, resulting in waste.
Single-Use Plastic	Items intended to be used once and thrown away (e.g., plastic water bottles, wrappers).
Leave No Trace	An outdoor ethics code ensuring that we leave parks exactly as we found them (or cleaner).

4. Guiding Principles

Transport: We prioritise travel methods in this order: (1) Public Transport, (2) Carpooling, (3) Solo Driving.
Resources: We aim to reuse items (e.g., lanyards, wristbands, props) rather than buying new ones for every event.
Demand-Led Production: We do not guess numbers for merchandise; we produce based on community demand to avoid waste.

5. Policy Statements

5.1. Sustainable Transport

Event locations must be selected based on their accessibility via public transport (Train/Bus).
Event announcements must always list public transport options first. Car parking information should only be provided as a secondary option.
We encourage carpooling where public transport is not feasible.

5.2. Waste Reduction & Management

"Leave No Trace": It is the responsibility of every attendee to remove their own litter.
We discourage the distribution of single-use plastic water bottles. Where feasible, PITP will provide bulk water dispensers (large tanks), and attendees are expected to bring their own reusable bottles.
Where park facilities allow, we will separate waste into "General" and "Mixed Recycling".
Attendees are prohibited from leaving food scraps on the ground (even if biodegradable), as this can harm local wildlife or attract vermin.

5.3. Ethical Procurement (Merchandise & Materials)

All printed materials (flyers, colouring sheets) must use ethically sourced, Fairtrade, or recycled paper.
To prevent "dead stock", we will use polls/pre-orders to estimate demand before commissioning physical goods.
Lanyards and wristbands (where durable) should be collected at the end of events for sanitisation and reuse.

5.4. Low-Waste Activities

Games and activities must be assessed for waste generation.
High-waste games (e.g., "Pass the Parcel" with multiple layers of non-recyclable wrapping) are prohibited unless reusable alternatives (e.g., fabric wraps) are used.

6. Roles and Responsibilities

Event Coordinator: Is responsible for ensuring the venue has adequate waste facilities and is accessible by public transport.
Creative Lead: Responsible for sourcing ethical suppliers for merchandise and running interest polls.
Volunteers (Helpers): Responsible for monitoring litter levels during the event and enforcing the "Leave No Trace" rule.
Attendees: Are responsible for bringing reusable water bottles and taking rubbish home if bins are full.

7. Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed annually by the Management Team to ensure it remains effective and fit for purpose. We welcome feedback from attendees and volunteers on how we can further reduce our environmental impact. The next scheduled review date is December 2026.

8. Contact

For any questions regarding this policy, or suggestions regarding our environmental practices, please contact the Management Team via sustainability@pupsinthepark.uk.